


Maybe It Isn't So Bad Here

by sy62697



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Cute, F/M, Feelings, Fluff, Ocean, Reader Insert, They have a moment together, because it's Muriel, the docks, very slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 09:55:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17485976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sy62697/pseuds/sy62697
Summary: A short little moment between Muriel and the reader where not much happens, but it means everything.Muriel X Reader





	Maybe It Isn't So Bad Here

**Author's Note:**

> My first Arcana fic ^^ I'm really loving this app and the characters, especially Asra and Muriel <3 The reader/MC in this fic will reflect my OC in terms of how she would act and the fact she's at the coast.  
> My apprentice OC has moments where she seems hypnotized and always winds up at the beach looking out into the water, and I like to headcannon that either Asra or Muriel will check in on her when that happens and make sure she's safe ^^
> 
> Anyways! Enough of that lol Please enjoy, tell me what you think! ^^ If you'd like to see more, I'd be happy to write more Muriel, and expect to see some Asra in the future ^^
> 
> **DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own The Arcana or Muriel! All copyrights belong to their rightful owners!**

The consistent sound of the waves rolling onto the smooth beach always put you at ease. Here, you felt at home. It felt… _right_. Back and forth, for hours, the waves seemed to sway as if in an endless dance. 

Back and forth.

To and fro.

Your eyes followed the newest wave as it flattened and foamed, turning into nothing more than a thin sheet of water and bubbles between your toes. And behind it, a young swell of water was moving to replace it.

Every wave is eventually replaced by a new.

It was easy to forget all the troubles of the world here, if even for a moment. While others worked monotonously for income, you let the sand be your chair. While others improved their appearance to impress others, you appreciated the smell of nature around you. While others tried to fit more activities into their free time, you let your fingers glide across the wet sand as your mind emptied. Cleared of all worries.

How you wished they would take just a moment to appreciate their lives as humans, to be fascinated in the events leading to their creation.

Though, when your entire life had been erased from your memories, it seemed to make you appreciate the time you _did_ have. Three years were all you were granted to remember, and Asra truly did assure you that your memories would return.

It helped that you were patient. You were in no rush to get those memories back, for they would come at their own pace. One should not rush fate. And should you never get those memories back? Well, you were fully prepared to make new ones instead. You were ready to leave your mysterious past behind and begin writing your own story with a fresh start. A clean pen and ink.

“(Name).” Your heart skipped a beat at the gentle voice, course like gravel but so steady. Confusion filled your mind for a cursory moment before the familiar, homely smell of myrrh seemed to wash it away with the waves.

A smile graced your lips when you noticed the hulking figure in your peripheral vision. Patting the sand next to you, you grinned up at the enormous man beside you.

“Sit with me, Muriel?”

The man stared at you with a pout on his lips, arguing inside his head about his options. With a soft sigh, he stepped closer until he was standing next to you. He slowly squatted down until he could let his legs spring out in front of him, falling into his rear with a grunt as his massive arms supported his weight. The action elicited a giggle from your lips, and a blush to his cheeks.

He was seated close enough that his cloak was brushing your arm. You looked at the propinquity before looking back to stare out across the rippling ocean. It was silent for many moments, neither feeling the need to speak.

The fact he was here beside you spoke volumes, more words than even Count Lucio could speak about himself. There was a dark past here at the docks for Muriel, one you had only briefly caught in a remark. He wasn’t comfortable here, but he hid it well. The only tattling sign was the brief glare he sent to the wooden dock further down the shore. But as soon as he did, he turned his head towards you.

“Thinking again?” the hermit asked quietly, his gaze on you. You could feel the way he looked at you, a gentle and understanding look, but you didn’t meet his dull emerald eyes.

“Not much. Mostly just admiring the view,” you replied with a soft smile. Your eyes spared a cursory glance to Muriel and his own orbs quickly darted away to the side.

“It’ll be dark soon,” he told you. Looking out across the water, you smiled when you noticed the sky had indeed started the very beginning stages of turning orange. It had been in the early afternoon when you arrived, yet you didn’t even notice the time passing.

“...I’ll walk you back to the shop.”

You couldn’t stop the quiet snort at his words, earning a confused look from the hermit.

“You don’t think I can handle myself in the streets of Vesuvia?” He looked away, guilty. Smiling, you looked back out across the water and absorbed the sight before you. It was like a painter had tossed oranges and reds into the ocean, splattered the dark grey of the clouds afterwards, and smeared his masterpiece once into a beautiful blur.

“Besides, the ocean is so beautiful at night,” you whispered as the images of the night pass through your mind, images you were well acquainted with. You couldn’t even begin to count the number of nights you had spent on this shore, letting the waves gently lap at your toes as the moon’s reflection hypnotized you again and again.

“...Maybe just for a little while, with you here,” Muriel spoke again. Looking to the side, you could see him looking out across the water as well. He seemed at peace, except for the pinch of his brows.

“But not too long… I don’t want you to get cold,” he continued. Your heart fluttered at his words, the genuine concern for your health always bringing a smile to your face. Lifting yourself a bit, you moved closer to the massive hermit, enough that your bare arms were touching ever so slightly. The feather-light contact might as well have been a firework on your skin, sending jolts through your entire body. 

Turning your attention back to the vast ocean before you, your eyes fell into rhythm with the steady oscillation. Now, the orange paint had begun to bleed into a red violet.

The first star was now visible.

Leaning into Muriel, you could feel the rippling muscle of his arms stiffen until your head was resting at the top of his arm. When that happened, you could feel him relax. A smile spread your lips as your eyes fluttered shut.

“You know, I think your cloak could cover both of us,” you teased gently. Muriel’s grunt was barely audible.

By the time the sun had completely set behind the horizon, you were fast asleep, tucked under Muriel’s arm. Your steady breathing on his chest made his heart throb with an emotion he’d never thought he’d feel, never thought he was _worthy_ of feeling. But here he was, his calloused fingers ghosting across your skin, his eyes full of adoration as he burned this peaceful memory into his mind.

As long as you were here with him, maybe it wasn’t so bad after all.


End file.
